The present invention relates to a steering wheel rod support for vehicles, which support is designed partly to be displaced a distance in the axial direction of the steering wheel rod and partly to be tilted about a transverse spindle (axis).
Such steering wheel rod supports have to meet many different requirements, which individually can be solved in different ways, but these solutions can be difficult to combine in the same steering wheel rod support. Besides the general requirement that a device of this type has to be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and mount in vehicles, the following illustrative requirements can be mentioned:
The steering wheel rod support must be stable and be able to resist all the stresses, which may materialize, without being damaged; PA1 No play whatsoever must be present; PA1 Sliding and tilting movements must not seem flabby or sluggish and no other movements than the required movements must be possible; PA1 The devices, which accomplish the sliding and tilting possibilities, must be placed in such a way, that they do not obstruct or interrupt other functions in the vehicle; PA1 The lock devices for the sliding and tilting movements must be safe and efficient in order not to allow any unintentional readjustments; PA1 The lock devices for the sliding and tilting movements must be easily accessible and easy to actuate; and PA1 The pivoting spindle for the tilting function must be located comparatively close to the steering wheel in order to give the steering wheel a pronounced angular change when a tilting takes place, etc. Many different constructions of slideable and tiltable steering wheel rod supports are known, all of which are burdened with deficiences or inconveniences in some respects. PA1 Lateral forces and torsional moments are transmitted from the bearing housing to the fastening means or the box via the tilting link, consequently only insignificantly via the lock plates. In this way the steering wheel rod will obtain a very good stability and freedom of play, when the mechanism is locked as well as when sliding and tilting adjustments are performed and the mechanism is open; PA1 The tilting link can be located at a high level and close to the steering wheel, and yet no parts of the steering wheel rod support will have to be moved upwards towards the steering wheel; PA1 The lock devices can be located at a large distance from the tilting link of the bearing housing, the lock devices in this way functioning with a large lever arm; and PA1 The lock devices can, in a simple way, be designed as a large double-armed lever arm, which with very little friction actuates two lock pistons, which actuate the lock plates and fastening devices.